Vaughan insists he'll be fit to lead

Michael Vaughan: targeting full fitness ahead of England's opening game against New Zealand on March 16 © Getty Images

Michael Vaughan has insisted he will be fit and ready to lead England in their opening World Cup match against New Zealand on March 16, but added that - in the event of further injury to either his right knee or his dodgy left hamstring - the captaincy will pass once again to Andrew Flintoff, the man who led England to victory in the recent CB Series in Australia.

Speaking at a press conference at Gatwick Airport on the eve of the squad's departure for the Caribbean, Vaughan reiterated his belief that his comeback from injury was going to plan. "I certainly hope [I will be fit]," he said. "For the last two-and-a-half weeks I have been in constant rehab, and though I don't want to start shouting too soon, I've passed a lot of tests and I've been building up strength for that game against New Zealand."

"The knee is fine," he added. "In Australia there was no reaction in training or in the few games that I did play, and that's been a really good sign. Andrew Flintoff will deputise if it gets to that stage, but hope it won't come to that. I deserve a bit of luck, and hopefully I'm going to get it."

Vaughan did not deny that England's approach in one-day cricket has left plenty to be desired in recent years, and admitted that his own record - an average of 27.70 over 77 games - was not a patch on his performances in Tests. "Of course we have things to prove," he said. "Since 1992 England haven't really shown up at World Cups. But this 15 has a chance to do something special. We will work hard, aim to beat some good teams, and see how far we can go."

The secret of success in the tournament, Vaughan insisted, would be to adapt quickly and effectively to the conditions. "From where we were at the end of January, we've shown that good basic cricket can be competitive against the best in the world," he said. "If we can reach the last four, you never know what could happen. But first and foremost, we need to get the basics right."

"I think this World Cup could be a great spectacle," he added. "There are so many islands, grounds and wickets and it could come down to the team which assess the conditions quickest. It is going to be up to us to assess it as players and get it right on the day."

"The dark horses, from six weeks ago, are us," he added, when asked to single out his favourites for the trophy. "I wouldn't like to pick one team who are hot favourites because any of the top eight can win it. Any team in the world are beatable on a given day, especially when you lose two, three or four players."

Vaughan added that no-one should write Australia off, despite their unsettling run of injuries in recent weeks, but pointed out that the return of Kevin Pietersen after his rib injury could only improve England's prospects.

"It is great to have Kevin back," said Vaughan. "He adds a great deal to our batting. He is our best one-day player and I'm looking forward to seeing him bat in the Caribbean on what I believe are small grounds. He should make the most of that."

And Vaughan also sung the praises of Monty Panesar, who was one of the genuine success stories of England's traumatic campaign in Australia. "He has been a revelation in the last year with his work ethic, skill levels and enthusiasm," said Vaughan. "I'm pleased with the way he has responded to the one-day situation, which is magnificent for a young player. He's justified his involvement and in the World Cup, where the wickets spin a little, he could be a real threat for us."

England set off for St Vincent via Barbados at 11am tomorrow morning, where they will play two warm-up matches against Bermuda on March 5 and Australia four days later. Vaughan added that he would play only a minor role in the opening game, but hoped to be fully operational by the time of the second match.